Showing posts with label Barcelona. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Barcelona Eat Guide Giveaway!

This is the first year of my three years in Spain that I haven’t been able to go to Barcelona. I’m pretty bummed about it because it is one of my favorite cities in Spain. I usually spend all day walking around looking at the pretty buildings and stopping about every 45 minutes to snack on something.
Finding a good restaurant in a city that big and touristy can sometimes be tougher than it seems. I have been tricked a few times thinking that I was getting a good deal, or eating where the locals are only to find out I got stuck with the tourist prices and menu.

FINAL-EAT-FIDEUA-EAT-GUIDES-BARCELONA-2014

Fidua or noodle paella

Luckily for you, future Barcelona travelers, I have two copies of this amazing e-book from the authors of The Spain Scoop about restaurants in Barcelona to give away! It was written by an American and her husband who is from Barcelona, so you can get a true locals perspective of where the best restaurants are. It has tons of Spanish/Catalan listings and some other cuisines, too, for the days when you just don’t feel in the mood for Spanish food. There are lots of different price points and restaurants from all over the city. It is a great resource to have on your phone, ipad, kindle or whatever other device you have.

Regina and Adrian, the authors of Barcelona Eat Guide

One of my favorite parts is reading the little stories the authors have about each restaurant from the first time they tried it. I have a bunch of places bookmarked to try when I make it back to Barcelona (hopefully) soon!

What food are you most interested to try in Barcelona?

UPDATE: The contest is over and the winners have been notified. :) If you didn't win you can still get your very own copy here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, August 5, 2013

Foodie Paradise in Barcelona

I have been lucky enough to be able to visit Barcelona four times, and each time one of the first stops I make after dropping off my bags is La Boqueria market.

This market dates back to the early 13^th century when meat stalls were set up near the old gate to the city. Starting in 1470 pigs were sold at this site and the market was known as Mercat de la Palla (Straw Market) until 1794.

La Boqueria began as an extension of another market between two plazas. In 1826 the market became legally recognized and a convention was held which decided to build an official place for the market.

Construction began in March 1840 under the direction of the architect Mas Vilà and the market officially opened later that year. The market went through many changes throughout the year including the opening of the fish market in 1911 and the addition of the (still standing) metal roof in 1914.

I recommend, at least for your first trip, to go close to when the market opens. During the late morning and early afternoon the market is PACKED and it’s difficult to enjoy when you are being pushed around by crowds of people. I arrived at 10am during my last visit which was a perfect time for a light snack.

One of my favorite things about the market is the fruit salads and fresh fruit juice that you can buy at almost all the fruit stands. My recommendation is not to buy from the stands right by the door, because they are a little more expensive. The juices are the same from all the stands so there is no reason to pay 2€ from the stands at the front when a few stands back you can get some for 1€.

With your juice in hand you are ready to explore the rest of the market. There are stands that sell bread and pastries, meat, cheese, fish, sweets, prepared foods and even a few tapas bars are hidden in the market.

I love going to the market on days when going to a restaurant just doesn't appeal to me. You can get a full meal for under 10€ here. I like to get a fruit salad, some juice and then a salad from Puerto Latino which has a lot of vegetarian food for around 3€. They also have empanadas and burritos. All very delicious. J

For the non-vegetarians you can get paper cones filled with the world famous jamón ibérico or Spanish chorizo.

The market is located close to the bottom of The Rambla. I prefer to walk down from the Catalunya metro stop at the top of The Rambla, but the Liceu metro stop is literally right outside the market. It’s open from 8:00am-8:30pm Monday through Saturday, closed on Sunday. When you visit Barcelona don’t miss out on this amazing foodie paradise!

2013 FINA World Championships!

When I was 8 years old I joined my first swim team. It was just a country club team, but I still took it very seriously and had a lot of fun every summer. In middle school I joined a year round team called Hilltoppers at the University of Denver and I later swam for my high school. I was never the best on the team but I always loved the sport and tried my best with all teams I was a part of. Including making sure I never missed a 5am practice! Unfortunately, my college didn't have a swim team so after high school my career was over. :(

My senior swimming picture

During every summer Olympics I always plant myself in front of the TV during the swimming events. My friends and family know not to bother me or attempt to change the channel when I am watching swimming. The 2012 Olympics were in London which is a cheap and quick flight from most airports in Spain. I decided on a whim that I wanted to go which lead me to buying a 700 dollar fake ticket. Luckily, I was able to get all my money back (Thanks to my amazing bank Charles Schwab!) But, I was still really disappointed that I was not able to see Michael Phelps swim professionally.

This year, I decided to treat myself and make up for not getting into the Olympics by going to the FINA World Championships which just happened to be 4 hours away from Valencia in Barcelona. My tickets were real this time which made me very happy when I was able to get into the pool with no problems.

I was able to see Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin, Natalie Coughlin, and Katie Ledecky. As well as some championship records and world records! It was so much fun and I am so lucky that I was able to go.